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Honda have unveiled an all-new middleweight sportsbike called the CBR500R Four, built around a brand-new 502cc inline four-cylinder engine, with standard-fit E-Clutch.
The new bike, distinguished from the parallel-twin CBR500R by its ‘Four’ suffix, costs just £6999 – £100 more than the twin – and will be available from January 2027.
The engine
At the CBR500R Four’s heart is an all-new DOHC 16-valve inline four-cylinder engine. Bore and stroke is set at 60 x 44.4mm, an oversquare and revvy ratio, resulting in a 69.5bhp peak power figure coming at a heady 11,000rpm and peak torque of 34lb.ft is reached at 10,500rpm. A 47bhp A2 licence version is also available.
Nickel-Silicon Carbide (Ni-SiC) plating on the cylinder walls removes the need for conventional cylinder sleeves, saving weight and cutting friction, while Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) valve lifters also reduce friction further.
A dual ram-air intake system, fed via ducts below the headlights, supplies a downdraft airbox positioned directly above the combustion chambers, with intake funnels of differing lengths – 70mm for cylinders one and four, 90mm for cylinders two and three – tuned to create a distinctive intake note – similar to the technique used on the CB1000F.
The 4-2-1 exhaust takes design is said to take inspiration from the 1975 CB400 Four, one of the first 400-class four-cylinder motorcycles.
E-Clutch and electronics
E-Clutch – Honda’s automatic clutch-management system – is standard fit, working alongside the engine’s throttle-by-wire control to let you pull away, change gear and stop without touching the clutch lever. The lever is still fitted and riders who prefer to use it manually can do so.
Three default riding modes (Standard, Sport and Urban) and two customisable User modes adjust Engine Power, Engine Brake and Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) levels (traction), with wheelie control also fitted.
Chassis and running gear
A new steel tube diamond-style frame uses the engine as a stressed member. Rake and trail are set at 25°/99mm with a 1408mm wheelbase. Suspension consists of 41mm KYB upside-down front forks (non-adjustable) and a Pro-Link rear shock with five-step preload adjustment, and an aluminium swingarm. Seat height is a manageable 780mm and kerb weight is claimed as 189kg.
Braking comes courtesy of dual 296mm front discs gripped by Nissin radial-mount two-piston calipers. The rear is a single 240mm disc with a single-piston caliper, and two-channel ABS is standard throughout. Tyres are Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV, 120/70 x 17 front and 160/60 x 17 rear.
Styling and equipment
The CBR500R Four gets supersport-inspired styling, with sharply defined fairing bodywork, twin LED projector headlights with integrated indicators, and a 14-litre fuel tank.
A five-inch TFT dash pairs with Honda RoadSync smartphone connectivity and is controlled via a backlit four-way toggle switch on the left handlebar as seen on many of Honda’s latest road bikes. A USB-C socket sits below the screen for charging. Security comes via Honda’s HISS immobiliser, with an alarm system available as an accessory.
The bike will be available in two colours: Ignition Red (Tricolour) and Matte Ballistic Black Metallic. A range of genuine Honda accessories will also be offered, including a rear seat bag, heated grips, a high windscreen, and tank and knee grip pads. Pricing has not yet been confirmed.
Where it’s come from
The CBR500R Four’s arrival follows a lengthy rollout that MCN has been tracking since last year. Honda first showed the near-identical 502cc CB500 Super Four and CBR500R Four in China in September 2025, aimed at that market’s booming appetite for small-capacity four-cylinder bikes.
A smaller 399cc version followed for the Japanese market, shown as a concept at the Osaka Motorcycle Show in March 2026 under the revived CB400 Super Four name – a legendary nameplate that ran for 30 years in Japan before being dropped in 2022.
Honda confirmed the 399cc CB400 Super Four and CBR400R Four for production in July 2026, arriving in select Japanese dealerships from August and September, though at the time Honda told MCN they had: “no comment to make at the moment on possible future additions to our European line-up.”
Today’s announcement confirms that line-up addition, bringing the larger-capacity 502cc version to a wider, non-Japan-specific market.
The MCN take
The CBR500R Four occupies the same middle ground as the Kawasaki ZX-4RR, Kove 450RR and ZXMoto 500RR – although its 69.5bhp peak power puts it at the back of the pack in terms of sheer grunt. It will be interesting to see if the new bike finds its way into any Sportbike race paddocks for 2027.